Chapter 100 - 100: Give her an explanation

Evan hears Avery scoffing by the dresser. She turns up the hairdryer in the hopes that the sound will muffle out Evan and Robert's conversation, but the dryer is suddenly snatched away from her hands. Evan holds it instead and points it toward her hair. The warm wind blows on her hair and his long fingers gently brush it.

"That's enough. I can handle this on my own," Avery says as she reaches to grab the dryer, "Miss Lisa is still waiting for you at the presidential suite. Don't you have to go up to give her an explanation?"

"I don't need to give anyone but you an explanation," Evan says stubbornly.

He continues to dry her hair for her.

"You don't have to. We've already signed the—"

Evan's look turns dark, and his fingers twist in Avery's hair. It hurts her scalp. She's not the only one who is hurt. His heart feels like beasts have torn his flesh apart.

He shuts down the noisy hairdryer and regards her coldly.

"Don't you forget that we're still married for the next six months."

Avery doesn't say anything and nods in silence. She takes a comb to brush her hair. Evan is upset that she doesn't say anything and wants to lash out. Robert returns to the room and knocks on the door.

"Sir, it's time to take your supplements," Robert said, "Should I have them brought here or to the presidential suite?"

The dormitory room is too small and it doesn't have a decent place to eat, but Robert is afraid that Mrs. Howel will be upset to see Lisa in the presidential suite. Robert's appearance helps relieve Evan's anger like a punching bag.

"Get lost!" Evan shouts.

Robert knows that his boss is in a sour mood and is about to leave, but Avery stops him.

"How about we go to the hotel buffet?" she suggests.

Avery is concerned that Evan is again refusing to take his medication as he did on the airplane. She takes a long breath and softens her expression. Then she takes the hairdryer from Evan, puts it away and turns to take the clothes Robert brought over. Before she dresses, she crosses the room to Evan and helps him get dressed.

Avery's fingers brushed his skin as she dresses him and she finds that his skin is quite warm, it seems he's still running a fever and has yet to recover from his illness. Additionally, there are new wounds on his back to contend with. Evan doesn't stop her. He likes that she's helping him even if he knows she's just being nice to him so he'll take his medication.

Avery stands behind him and frowns at the bloodstains on the bandages on his back. His wounds should be healed by now.

"Your wound reopened again," she says.

"You know why, don't you?" Evan asks suggestively.

Avery blushes. Of course, she knows why. He made love to her all night and again in the morning. Avery bites her lip. She knows there's no point in answering his question; it will just encourage him to make more dirty comments.

"Go get breakfast and I'll put ointment on for you later," Avery says.

Avery finishes helping Evan get dressed. She's about to grab her dress, but Evan moves ahead to put it on for her.

"I can do it on my own," she says.

For one thing, he has back wounds. For another, she feels awkward and uncomfortable now that Evan suddenly wants to do something for her. She recalls that she's been doing stuff on her own including getting dressed since she was a child.

Evan frowns, "Lift your arms."

"I think it's best if I do it on my own."

"Lift," he orders.

Avery doesn't have the energy to argue and she knows Evan has made up his mind. Instead of wasting time on useless disagreement, she raises her arms. Evan puts the dress over her head and then carefully zips the dress, making sure to pull her hair from the collar. He's as gentle as if he's dressing a baby. Then he takes her blonde hair in his hand and brushes it.

"It smells very good," he says.

Evan is intoxicated by the scent of her hair and lightly rests his sharp chin against her shoulder.

"It's very soft too," he adds.

Together they look like an ordinary happily married couple. Avery can't help being touched and gives Evan a soft look without saying anything. He looks back at her with strong emotions in his eyes. Avery realizes that despite his overbearingness, he's looking at her with adoration and tenderness.

"If he acts like this instead of becoming emotional or angry he's not so bad," Avery thinks, then she shakes her head, "Stop! What am I thinking? Am I allowing him to get to me?"

After a quick glance in the mirror, Avery realizes that the light blue satin of her dress matches the shirt Evan wears beneath his suit.

"Is Robert being intentional and making us wear matching clothes?" Avery wonders, "Or was this Evan's idea?"

Evan seems to be in a good mood and grabs Avery's hands to walk the hotel buffet. Lisa has heard that Evan and Avery will be having breakfast in the hotel and hurries to arrive with her rich friends. She is shocked to see that Evan holds Avery in his arms. He never looks away from the woman in his arms and gazes at her as if she's the only thing worth looking at in the world. Lisa is stunned by Avery's presence and her face pales. She runs to Evan.

"Evan, I was waiting for you all night in the presidential suite," she said breathlessly.

"What are you trying to imply?" Evan asks.

He kisses Avery's ear and looks dotingly at his wife.

Lisa doesn't know what to say; Evan's look can't lie. She feels water gathering in her eyes. She really waited for Evan all night in the presidential suite. She assumed that he'd go back to the room after he was done with the freshness and excitement of Avery taming the lion. She honestly didn't expect that Evan would reduce himself to spending the night in a dormitory room with Avery.

She glances at the hickey Avery accidentally reveals on her neck—the neckline of her dress only partially covers it. Lisa bites her lip viciously; she knows she's been used. Her face turns from white to gray and she recalls what Evan said about women with high IQs. She assumed he was talking about women who can read his mind but it seems he was actually communicating something to Avery—it seems she got the message.

He also asked Avery to come to the private room during the show and desperately fought to shoot the lion when Avery was in danger on the stage. Then he risked destroying his family fortune to bid on Avery.

"If a man isn't deeply in love with a woman, why would he bother to put on such a show?" Lisa thinks, "How stupid and carried-away I was. I finally understand what Evan meant when he told me to buy anything I wanted in the shop. He was playing peaceful and softening the blow before using and humiliating me. If I'd been a little wiser, I wouldn't have only bought one dress with his money but every single piece in the store."

Some of the smarter girls in Lisa's clique Lisa piece two and two together. They aren't really Lisa's friends, and their new knowledge puts them at an advantage. They sneer at Lisa and give her condescending looks.

"I thought an ugly duckling was finally becoming a nice swan," says one, "But I guess a duck is always a duck."

"I told you so," another chime in, "I said she wouldn't be so smug for much longer."

Lisa Cindy knows that nothing good will come from her hassling Avery so she gives the other woman a vicious glare. Avery looks back at Lisa as if she doesn't care. Lisa is so angry that she stomps as she walks away, stewing in failure and disgrace.

In truth, Avery didn't notice Lisa's glare and doesn't even know what they were talking about. Instead, she's been subtly looking around the room to find someone she caught a brief glimpse of, but the woman is gone before Avery can take a second look.